My Summer Training Regime
One of the benefits of being a division III athlete is that I don’t have mandatory swim practice all year round. My season starts in the middle of September and ends at the end of February. However, this benefit also serves as a disadvantage in some ways. During the off-season, my training regime is completely up to me: I am the only one keeping myself accountable. When this is the case, it is very easy to slack off if I don’t feel like working out. After all, when I’m in the off season, all I want to do is give my body and mind a break.
To stay motivated, I find that the most useful thing to do in the off season is to cross-train. Instead of swimming for two hours everyday, I’ll go on a run, lift some weights, do a HIIT workout, go on a long walk, etc. Swimming is a very boring sport sometimes. You go back and forth for several thousands of yards and all you have to look at is a solid black line. I find that once I’ve recovered a little bit from the season, I actually look forward to doing some other form of exercise.
During my end-of-season meeting back in March, my coaches and I sat down to chat about how the season went for me and what I can do to get better for next year. My swim training was very consistent — I pride myself on being one of the hardest workers in the pool — but my weight training was lacking. The summer is the best time to work on improving strength, but I spent the entirety of last summer swimming. I didn’t touch a dumbbell until I got back on campus. Additionally, injuries prevented me from benefiting from the lifting sessions during the actual season. My shoulder was a mess in the fall and my lower-back flared up in the spring. I’m still really proud of how I performed last season despite all of these external factors standing in the way, but I knew I needed to emphasize the weight training this summer if I wanted to improve. Therefore, I did what I do best: I came up with a plan.
My coach gave us a summer lifting plan, but I wanted to add a little more to it. I still have some of the lifts from my freshmen year, which was when I dropped the most amount of time, so I decided to combine a little from each program to create something of my own. Unfortunately, the only gym I have near me is a Planet Fitness, which limits the machinery I have access to and therefore the exercises I can do. For example, Planet Fitnesses don’t have barbells, which I use religiously back at school for squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. They have a few Smith Machines, but I honestly hate using those and there is always someone hogging them. Regardless, I came up with something that works for me.
Before sharing my program, I just want to say that in no way am I claiming to be a personal trainer. I know next to nothing about the right amount of rest time, or how to balance how much you’re lifting with how many reps of each exercise you’re doing, or even what order to do the exercises in to maximize strength gains. I’m just using what I know and making it work for me. I don’t need a “perfect” lifting program — I just need something to get my body moving and feeling strong. And I feel like I’ve come up with that.
The notation I’m using is “sets x reps.” The expectation is that when I drop the number of reps, I’m increasing the weight. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and I am open to any and all suggestions!
Day 1: Lower Body
Smith Machine Squat (5 x 10/10/8/8/6)
Leg Curl Machine (4 x 10/10/8/8)
Leg Extension Machine (4 x 10 — hold for 10 seconds — drop to half weight and do 15 more)
Goblet Squats (4 x 10/10/8/8)
Lunges (4 x 10 for each leg)
Calf Raises (4 x 15)
Ab Circuit (10 tucks, 10 leg lifts, 30 flutter kicks, 20 toe taps, 20 Russian twists, 10 right-side V-ups, 10 left-side V-ups, 30 penguins, 10 tucks; 1 min front plank, 1 min right-side plank, 1 min left-side plank, 1 min front plank)
Day 2: Cardio
Some sort of cardio. For example: an easy run, a swim workout, using the stair master or stationary bike, or even a long walk.
Day 3: Upper Body
Cleans (4 x 10)
Dumbbell Bench (5 x 10/10/8/8/6)
Bent Over Row (4 x 10/10/8/8)
Lat Pulldowns (4 x 10/10/8/8)
Chest Fly Machine (10/10/8/8)
Chin-ups (4 x 3 (or as many as I can do))
Push-ups (4 x 10)
Ab Circuit (same as Day 1)
Day 4: Cardio
Some sort of cardio, like on Day 2.
Day 5: Full Body Mix
Leg Press (5 x 15/12/10/8/6)
Romanian Deadlift (4 x 10/10/10/10)
Split Squats (4 x 10/10/8/8 for each leg)
Dumbbell Over-Head-Press (4 x 10/10/8/8)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise (4 x 10/10/8/8)
Bicep Curls (4 x 10)
Tricep Pulldowns (4 x 10)
Ab Circuit (same as Day 1 and 3)
Day 6: Cardio
Some sort of cardio again, like on Days 2 and 4.
Day 7: Rest
We are nearly half-way through the summer, so I’ve been following this program for a few weeks now. I would be lying if I said I’ve been following it perfectly. I make sure to get all three lifting days in, but that’s as much rigidity as I’m willing to give myself. In the past — and still a little bit now — I’ve structured my life around when I can work out: when I can eat, when I can hang out with my friends, when I can relax, etc. As a competitive athlete, being active consumes a lot of my time and I’m finding it really hard to let go, if that makes sense. I want to take my training seriously and set myself up well for the season, but I also want to give myself some flexibility to enjoy the summer. I’m in a new city for an internship, so I want to make time to immerse myself in my work, to explore new sites, to make new friends. And if that means I miss a day at the gym, that’s okay. Balance is key, and I’m still struggling to find it, but I’m doing the best I can. That’s the most I can ask of myself, after all.
